The book of birds - common birds of town and country and American game birds (1921) (14750967782)

Identifier: cu31924022557361 (find matches)
Title: The book of birds : common birds of town and country and American game birds
Year: 1921 (1920s)
Authors: National Geographic Society (U.S.) Henshaw, Henry W. (Henry Wetherbee), 1850-1930 Fuertes, Louis Agassiz, 1874-1927 Kennard, Frederic Hedge, 1865- Cooke, Wells Woodbridge, 1858-1916 Shiras, George, 1859- National Geographic Society (U.S.) Common birds of town and country
Subjects: Birds
Publisher: Washington, D. C. : National Geographic Society
Contributing Library: Cornell University Library
Digitizing Sponsor: MSN



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ered. So expertare they on the wing that no insect is safefrom them, even the swift dragonfly being cap-tured with ease. Unfortunately their erraticflight tempts men to use them for targets, andthis inexcusable practice is seriously diminish-ing their numbers, which is deplorable, sinceno birds are more useful. This species makesno nest, but lays its two spotted eggs on theibare ground, sometimes on the gravel roof ofthe city house. The nighthawk is a voraciousfeeder and is almost exclusively insectivorous.Some stomachs contained from 30 to SO dif-ferent kinds of insects, and more than 600kinds have been identified from the stomachsthus far examined. From 500 to 1,000 ants areoften found in a stomach. Several species ofmosquitoes, including Anopheles, the transmit-ter of malaria, are eaten. Other well-knownpests destroyed by the nighthawk are the Colo-rado potato beetle, cucumber beetles, chestnut,rice, clover-leaf, and cotton-boll weevils, bill-bugs, bark beetles, and squash bugs. 18
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Horned LarkKingbird Arkansas Kingbird NiGHTHAWK 19 MAGPIE (Pica pica hudsonia) Length, from about i8 to 21 inches. Theblack head and body and the white belly, whitewing patches, and long tail are distinguishingfeatures. The yellow-billed magpie is smaller,with a yellow bill. Range: A characteristic western species.Breeds from Aleutian Islands and Alaska, cen-tral Alberta, southern Saskatchewan, and Win-nipeg Lake south to northern Arizona and NewMexico, and from the Cascades and Sierra towestern North Dakota and western Texas;resident. There are two species of magpies, the yellow-billed being confined to California, where it isvery local. In general the habits of the twoare similar. Maggie, as this bird is famil-iarly known in the West, possesses dual traits.He is beautiful of plumage and adds much tothe interest of the landscape as he flies fromfield to field, his long tail extending behind likea rudder. Of eminently sociable disposition, this birdis rarely seen alone. He prefers flo